Honest Actors’ Podcast ‘will close without funding’

A popular podcast for actors has been put on hold after its founder revealed he could not continue to make it without external funding.

Jonathan Harden, who stars in ITV drama Unforgotten, is appealing for financial help to continue with the Honest Actors’ Podcast, which features interviews with actors about the challenges they face on and off stage.

Founded in 2015 and self-funded by Harden, the podcast currently has 13 free episodes with appearances by actors including Denise Gough, Tom Goodman-Hill and Jessica Raine.

Harden explained that he wanted to keep the podcast free to listen to, but had not been able to find a suitable sponsor to sustain the project – which costs around £300 per episode.

“It’s an expensive hobby and one I unfortunately can’t afford to continue,” he explained.

Since it first went live in September last year, the fortnightly show attracted a number of high-profile supporters within the industry, with Harry Potter star Noma Dumezweni describing the show on Twitter as “a salve for any performer’s soul”.

Gough, who featured in the first episode of the Honest Actors’ Podcast, said it was a “positive” outlet in the theatre industry, which she claimed “feeds on the collective anxiety of actors”.

Acknowledging that listeners would be “disappointed” with the decision to suspend the podcast, Harden added: “We need a hero to step in and save the Honest Actors’ Podcast, and give us all another series.”

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